Thill-coupling.



Patented Nov. 25,1902.

PLI

R..ECCLES TH|LL cou NG (Applicatim led A UNITED STATES l PATENT @ENCERICHARD ECCLES, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

THILL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 714,163, datedNovember 25, 1902.

Application led April 29 1902. Serial No. 105,189. (No modelJ To @ZZwhom, t may concern.:

Be itknown that I, RICHARD ECOLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Auburn, in the count-y of Cayuga and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference beinghadthereintotheaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of shaft and thill couplingscomprisingadivided drafteye formed by fixed and movable parts on thedraft-bar, the said movable part being held in operative position bymeans of a pivoted holding loop or bail connected with aretaining-spring provided with a lever acting, in connection with thesaid loop or bail and said spring, as a toggle, so that by moving thesaid lever to one position or another the holdv ing loop or bail may beretained in operative position or may be released from the movable partof the draft-eye.

The invention has for its object to provide a coupling device of theparticular class referred to which is of such construction that when theholding loop or bail is released the retaining-spring and its attachedlever may be swung aside horizontally to permit of convenient access tothe nuts of the clip which secures the coupling to the axle. To this endthe draft-bar is provided with a depending lug or projection, with whichthe holdingspring is attached by a vertical pivot connection, whichpermits the said spring and the lever and loop or bail attached theretoto be swung Aaround horizontally when the said loop or bail isdisconnected from the lever forming the movable part of the divideddrafteye on the draft-bar.

In the drawings, Figure l represents the improved coupling with theholding loop or bail released from the movable part or lever of thedraft-eye, and Fig. 2 represents the parts in operative position. Fig.lshows the retaining-spring and its attached lever and loop or bailswung aside horizontally for convenient access to the nuts on the clip.Fig. 4 shows a modified form of coupling.I

Referring to the drawings, a denotes the draft-bar, which is to berigidly fixed to the axle b by means of a U-shaped clip c, havingthreaded arms or parts to receive nuts d, by which the draft-bar issecured to the axle.

The clip c may be integral with or separate from the draft-bar. Thedraft-bar is provided with a draft-eye e for the reception of acoupling-pin which joins the thill-iron to the coupling, said eye beingformed partly by a seat in the draft-iron and partly by a seat in apivoted cap or lever f, mounted on the draft-iron. The leverfis retainedin the operative position (shown in Fig. 2) by a loop or bail c, theupper end of which engages the hooked or upturned free end of the saidcap or leverf, and the lower end of said bail is jointed to a link orlever h, which is in turn pivotally connected with or jointed to an eyeon a holding-spring t', said link' or lever h being provided with anoperating-handle lo.

By reference to Figs. l and 2 it will be observed that theretaining-spring is normally in such position that it preventsconvenient access to the nuts d, by which the clip cis secured to theaxle, and to provide for convenient access to the said nuts the saidretainingspring 7l is mounted on the draft-bar so that it may be swungaside horizontally when desired. To this end the draft-bar is providedAwith a depending lug or projection m, to

which the said retaining-spring is attached by a vertical pivotconnection, so that when the link or lever h has been moved into theposition shown in Fig. l to release the loop or bail from the movablepart or lever of the draft-eye the said loop or bail may be swung overthe said lever before the latter is opened, and the retaining-spring andthe loop or bail and the link or lever carried thereby may be swungaround horizontally to the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby affordingfree access to the nuts d When attaching or removing the clip c. Insecuring or releasing the loop or bail g the link or lever h acts incooperation with said loop or bail as a toggle in a wellknown manner.

The projection m being directly beneath the socket or draft-eye, whichin practice receives a ball-bearing coupling-pin, serves to v strengthenthe draft-bar beneath said socket,

as well as affording means by Which the spring 'L' may be pivot-allyattached to said draft-bar, so that said spring can be swung into or outof its operative position for the purposes hereinbefore indicated.

IOO

Instead of forming the ing or projection upon the draft-bar, as shown inFigs. l, 2, and 3, it might be formed on the end of the clip-tie fn,which secures the coupling to the axle, as shown in Fig. 4. The end ofthe clip-tie n is preferably curved downwardly, as shown, and has thelug or projection 0 depending therefrom, to Which the retaining-A springp, with its supported link q and bail fr, is pivoted, so as to give asufficient clearance for the spring relative to the nuts s and permit itto be readily swung aside in the manner described in connection with theother construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patentl. In a shaft or thill coupling, the combination with thedraft-baral having a seat for the coupling-pin, of a clip for securingthe draft-bar to the axle, a lug or projection m depending from saiddraft-bar, a pivoted cap or lever to hold the coupling-pin in thedraftbar seat, a bail to engage said cap or lever and secure it inoperative position, a retaining-spring ha ving a vertical pivotconnection at one end with the said depending lug or projection, and alever having a jointed connection with the other end of said retaining#spring and with the said loop or bail; whereby when the said loop orbail is released from the pivoted cap or lever the said retainingspringand the bail and lever carried thereby may be swung aside horizontallyfor conven- Y ient access to the nuts of the said clip securing thecoupling to the axle.

2. In a shaft or thill coupling, the combination with a draft-bar havinga coupling piu seat, a cap pivoted to said draft-bar to hold thecoupling-pin in the draft-bar seat, a substantially U-shapedretaining-spring having a vertical pivot connection at one end with saiddraft-bar upon which said spring and its supported parts may be swunghorizontally beneath said draft-bar to permit convenient access to thenuts of the draft-bar-securing clip, a lever pivotally connected withthe other end of said retaining-spring, and a bail pivotally connectedwith said lever and adapted to engage and hold the said couplingpin capin closed position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD ECCLES.

Witnesses:

SQUIRE P. CODNER, ANDREW H. JOHNSON.

